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The word "low cost" is less and less taboo at PSA Peugeot Citroen. In early May, Philippe Varin, the boss of the manufacturer, said that the group "did not rule out being on the low-cost one day." He said: "If this were the case, it would not be with our two brands."

So far, the group said informally that such a vehicle was considered only for Asia. But on Wednesday, on the occasion of the presentation of business results of the first half, Jean-Marc Gales, director of Peugeot and Citroen, has taken a new step.It does not mark a low cost, the third group, is distributed in Western Europe, even if the device has not "yet been decided" for the continent.

Chinese Partner

"If we did, and I say this in the conditional, a car really low-cost, it would necessarily under a different brand and obviously with a different distribution method, which could be" completely different and very creative, "he said, citing sales via "Internet". No matter under him from selling such vehicle in a Peugeot or Citroen dealership, and therefore to take the risk of blurring the image of two brands that are trying to go upmarket.

Asked about the possibility of building such a vehicle with a Chinese partner, Jean-Marc Gales said "one could imagine many things" with these manufacturers credit reports free.PSA, which has already formed a joint venture in the Middle Kingdom, will sign one second Friday with Changan, fulfilling a letter of intent.

Meanwhile, the group develops a medium sedan declined under the Peugeot and Citroën, which will be for the "heart of the range" of emerging countries. Production will be initially located in Spain. In the same logic, PSA works in partnership with Japan's Mitsubishi, with a small entry level car for these markets.

At the last general meeting of the group in early June, Philippe Varin had hammered this sedan designed for emerging markets was neither low-cost, or intended to Western Europe.More broadly, he appeared to reject the principle of marketing a low-cost model in Europe: "If a low-cost means low-end model, manufactured in low cost countries and for Europe to the West, while the group is not on the low-cost, had he stressed.

Given the success of Dacia, the Romanian brand Renault, which has exceeded 5% market share in France, the Lion is now considering actually in the parade.

The EPR, the flagship of the French nuclear technology, today faces an unprecedented wave of questions. After the failure of tendering Abu Dhabi and pending report Roussely devoted to the articulation of the French industry, design, price and export capacity of this tool crystallize debates . To the point that some observers, the EPR would already hit the "syndrome Concorde: a powerful engine sure, but difficult to assemble, expensive and unmarketable credit report.

Provisions repeated Areva's Olkiluoto site have largely supported this suspicion. But, after Finland, behold, the EPR Flamanville, built by EDF, also maintains the possibility of "industrial accident".

Perhaps fears about the monthly employment figures expected with apprehension before market are already partly integrated into the course. The Dow Jones gained in effect to 15.45, 0.36% to 9767 points, the Nasdaq advance from 0.08% to 2103 points and the S & P 500 rose 0.24% to 1030 points.

The American economy has destroyed 125,000 non-agricultural jobs in June against 110,000 planned. This is the first time since the beginning of the year that the U.S. economy is destroying jobs and the number of registered job destruction last month was the highest since October 2009.

The private sector has created 83,000 jobs, however, against 33,000 in May and 112,000 expected by the market. Despite the job losses recorded in the month, the unemployment rate of 9.5% in June, its lowest level since July 2009, against 9.7% in May Economists expected a rate of 9.8%.

The figures, preliminary unemployment weekly published Thursday, however, very disappointed. "For three months, enrollment weekly unemployment are the yo-yo around a trend average of 462,000, economists are of Oddo Securities. The dismissal of the enumerators of the population, down sharply in June (see Chart 3 above), could affect these results, but, anyway, the job recovery seems decidedly weak. "

Europe and China in the minds

If the relatively low funding requests from European banks with the ECB reassured yesterday, the threat of a downgrading of the rate of Spain by Moody's, the clouds that accumulate on the growing global concern, however, more than never the United States.Several indicators, unemployment and housing U.S., in fact, yesterday, had a marked fall in European markets, while Wall Street has finally, paradoxically, proved to be more combative resistance payday loan lenders. The weakening of the greenback against the euro is perhaps helped. The late publication of monthly sales of car manufacturers, sharp rise, too.The sixth meeting of decline has been less severe than expected, the Dow ended down 0.42% to 9732 points and the Nasdaq fell 0.37% to 2101 points.

While the downward revision of growth prospects of China Conference Board had, following a calculation error, contributing to a decline in the markets earlier this week, China could reassure the contrary on Friday: it comes into effect to announce the revision of the growth of its gross domestic product from 2009 to 9.1% against a previous estimate of 8.7%.

Google buys ITA

As for values, Jeffrey Immelt, the head of U.S. conglomerate General Electric, has accused China to show hostility towards foreign companies, said Friday the Financial Times (FT), pushing the group to say that his comments had been distorted.The share lost 0.14% to 14.10 dollars.

The engine rechercheGoogle (-0.47% to 437.43 dollars) has announced the acquisition of ITA, a company specializing in information on air transport.

The publisher of games for iPhone Tapulous announced Thursday that he was bought by media giant Disney (+0.32% to 31.59 dollars) to become "leader in mobile entertainment." The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Sanofi-Aventis (-2.24% to 29.70 dollars) on Friday refused to comment on information from Bloomberg that the French pharmaceutical group preparing to acquire a U.S. company a value of at least 20 billion dollars. Allergan (6.88% to 62.10 dollars) and Biogen (6.70% to 49.86 dollars) are cited as potential targets

In the battle over economic strategy, which raged in the country G8/G20 meeting in Toronto, Nicolas Sarkozy ranks clearly on the side of Barack Obama's hostile plans rigor precipitates. "For France, fiscal consolidation is a long-term need [...] the stimulus must be from 2011, gradually, depending on individual circumstances," said one EU source.

Favorable cures severe austerity in Greece, Portugal and Spain, Nicolas Sarkozy calls for budget adjustments "progressive" in France and Germany, from 2011, with "not too many taxes."

The fragile economic and financial worries Europe G8 and G20. "Our partners Americans and Canadians fear the impact of austerity plans on resuming" said one EU source.The health of banks on the Old Continent is also a major concern in the United States. "There's nothing to fear from that quarter. Our banks are very strong. The results of stress test in late July is going to cheer the markets, "say the Europeans.

Faced with the Americans, Germans and Britons facing the G8 steadfast defenders of rigor. "A sustainable growth can not result from a fiscal policy based on the debt!" Repeats Angela Merkel. "Our public finances are in such a state, we have no other choice than a hard adjustment," he defends David Cameron.

Within this debate, Nicolas Sarkozy wants to distinguish itself from its European partners. Recognizing the need to reduce fiscal deficits in France, he will not rush, giving priority to pension reform.If markets were not so vigilant, he would gladly own the warning of Barack Obama: "do not overdo it in 2010 … or 2011.

Will it happen to food packaging, plastic chairs or bumper? The Federation of plastics, which brings together producers of plastic products, is sounding the alarm. "This is a situation unprecedented in the plastic. Our suppliers of polymers evoke technical reasons, cases of "force majeure" and do not honor their deliveries, "said Bruno Etienne, its president.

He complains of the total opacity surrounding the subject. In less than three months, the phenomenon has spread to most chemists. In a letter to his clients, a leading industry refers to "a situation of force majeure for a mechanical problem. A spokesman said "not able to comment in the present context," adding that the group has written to its customers and does not give more details.Rhodia did not wish either to speak on this subject, nor the Union of Basic Organic Chemistry (SCOBA). PlasticsEurope, an association of European producers of plastics, boot button: "The problem of availability of raw materials is not limited to plastics, but is much broader. Polypropylene is most affected. "

A response that plastics companies deny. "There is still some time, the European plants polymers suffered from overcapacity. They could even export to China. Does it change? "Asks Bruno Estienne. He wondered if a half-word part of European production is shipped to China, to the detriment of businesses he represents.The producers of polymers are in fact, in their majority, started in the construction of production units of polymers in Asia, but all are not yet operational. This theory has a flaw: the prices of plastics in China are structurally lower than those in Europe, where prices through May rose by an average of 70% over one year.

However, in 2009, production fell by 20% and has increased by 9% during the first four months of the year."Some factories were closed in 2009, and the groups are reluctant to reopen them," said Jean-Marc Manducher, CEO Ronax, a buying group that has identified eight cases of force majeure in a few months! In addition, the European prudential standards discourage the restart of some production units.

SMEs under pressure

"We are caught between the chemists in our principals," said Bruno Etienne, who wishes to hold a roundtable meeting to identify the difficulties currently crossed by the industry and evaluate the time needed to return to normal.

If the survival of businesses does not seem threatened, some are already struggling. One example for manufacturers of garden furniture, whose business is seasonal excellence, and whose unfilled orders will not be caught.T automobile sector is also likely to be affected, if manufacturers of technical parts (bumpers, interior trim parts in engines) are not promptly supplied.

Bureau Veritas announced Tuesday the acquisition of Inspectorate, specialist inspection and testing of raw materials and subsidiary of British Inspicio. The transaction amounted to 450 million pounds (nearly 540 million euros) and should be completed in the third quarter of 2010.

Inspectorate, currently held by the investment company 3i, is also present on the testing of petroleum products and petrochemicals (59% of its turnover), metals, minerals and agricultural products.The company recorded 2009 sales of 246 million pounds (280 million euros).

In a statement, Bureau Veritas claims that the acquisition allows it to position itself as "one of the world's leading inspection and testing of raw materials," a buoyant market, "according to Chairman Frank Piedelièvre group, whose potential amounts to 5 billion euros, according to the group saving account payday loan.

Inspectorate therefore give "a new dimension to the group that doubles the size of its laboratory network (330 sites) and now offers a range of services the industry's broadest assessment of compliance."

Bureau Veritas says that the transaction will be financed through existing credit lines and newly negotiated. The group expects a turnover of around 3 billion euros in 2010.It amounted in 2009 to 2,648,000,000 euros.

The time of new measures to reduce costs will soon strike in France. The State must indeed save 100 billion euros by 2013 to reduce its deficit and meet European standards.

Claude Gueant, advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy, says the Financial Times on Monday that further savings measures are in preparation. They should be announced in the fall. It says in part: "France has pledged to reduce its deficit to 3% by 2013. We are determined to achieve this goal. "

Forecast question

For now, the government relies on its growth forecasts to find half the sum. But estimates of France are considered optimistic. The European Commission and the International Monetary Fund have both criticized the government's optimism.The economy minister, Christine Lagarde, has itself acknowledged Sunday at the Grand Jury RTL-LCI-Le Figaro, saying that the forecast 2.5% growth next year was "bold" .

Lower costs

The remaining 50 billion euros will come from the decline in public spending and tax increases. How the State plan to do it? A belief in "Les Echos", the government intends to confirm its target of 100,000 new layoffs of civil servants between 2011 and 2013, after the 100,000 already achieved in recent years. Moreover, the government plans to freeze spending between 2011 and 2013 to maintain transfers to local governments and increase only slightly the health expenditure.The state should also remove the tax loopholes to recover 5 billion euros per year and create a new tax on the wealthiest to raise 3.7 billion euros. Finally, the adjustment of tax evaders will recover, as reported by the Budget Minister Francois Baroin to France Info radio this weekend, "over 1 billion just on the folder HSBC.

The Financial Times points out that these measures should not be sufficient to reach 100 billion euros in savings by 2013. If Claude Gueant has not revealed the content of the proposed measures, economists believe that the state could proceed with a wage freeze for civil servants, their salaries account for nearly one third of public spending.

"Minc" keep the tax shield

The rescue of Greece did nothing. Investors remain worried in Europe: the CAC 40 lost Thursday more than 2.2% and broke the 3,600 points, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange fell 0.81%, close to 5900 points, the London Stock Exchange has folded 1.52% to 5260 points.

In the European storm, which contaminates the morale of investors around the world – in Asia, markets deep into red, and Wall Street has suffered more heavy losses – the euro continues its downward trend.

The fears of the contagion of the disease are increasing fiscal Greek daily.If the EU, the IMF and Athens agreed to "save the country from bankruptcy last weekend, the panic was due to global finances since the beginning of the week.

On Tuesday, the rumor "murders" that Spain could ask 280 billion euros in the IMF and could see its rating deteriorated by Fitch and / or Moody's has dampened the markets. Madrid and ratings agencies have denied. S & P himself has lowered its rating last week.

Then Wednesday, the storm came from the threat of degradation of the sovereign debt rating by Moody's from Portugal.

On Thursday, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the ECB (European Central Bank) has failed to reassure markets quick cash.The Ibex-35 index of the Madrid Stock Exchange ended down 2.93% and the Lisbon PSI 20 downgraded from 2.37% to 6824.8 points.

The Athenian has taken place, the colors, gaining 0.98%, despite the strong social tensions in the country.

The euro to 1.25 soon

Since the euro has broken the support of 1.3280 earlier this week, the single currency dipped down. On Friday, it dropped below $ 1.27, to 1.2659 dollar per euro, far from 1.5144 dollars reached November 25, 2009. The Euro is at its lowest in a year deal with the sixteen major currencies in the world, and been fourteen months against the dollar.

Since 1 January, the single currency has dropped 11.4%.

"The next support is at 1.2450 dollar," recalls the president of Saxo Bank, Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, and ensures that could be reached "very soon".

If the euro remains at levels "healthy for the European economy, this decline reflects the magnitude of the crisis in the Old Continent. Such differences in scoring so little time, are accustomed closely watched by the European Central Bank (ECB).

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